Olivia Rodrigo concluded her GUTS tour at the Philippine Arena last October 5. Josiah Antonio, ABS-CBN News/File Concerts are always a great experience. For avid fans and casual attendees, the familiarity of the music blasting through the stadium emancipates the rush of excitement and anticipation for the fun time ahead. It is one of the few occasions where jumping in your place and screeching at the top of your lungs is a good idea, right?

However, during Filipino-American pop star Olivia Rodrigo's GUTS tour at the Philippine Arena, thousands of fans had varying gut-wrenching experiences, almost turning the teenage dream concert into a sour encounter.

The concert was not only a massive success with 55,000 attendees but also an advocacy for Rodrigo's Fund 4 Good initiative. All proceeds were donated to JHpiego, a charity with a global reach that provides care for cervical cancer, Malaria, HIV, and complications due to pregnancies and childbirth. 

CONCERT RECAP: 'Insan' Olivia Rodrigo gets homecoming treatment during 'GUTS' tour in PH

On the other hand, the brutal side of the experience seems to be the rise of concert etiquette issues where fans online noted their dismay -- fans already battled inconveniences just to make it to the Manila Silver Star Show.

Ticket scalping

Nearly 800,000 fans had high hopes and waited in a virtual queue to buy concert tickets, but not everyone was able to secure one. 

Tickets were sold at just P1,500 -- but due to overwhelming demand, unauthorized resellers and scalpers sold passes at inflated costs of up to P15,000. These individuals often use automated software to buy more tickets for events than they are allowed.

Because of this, desperate concertgoers had no choice but to turn to scalpers.

Killa Kush, a well-known social media influencer, became viral after posting videos on her TikTok account about her experience with scalpers. This was before she attended the said event where she paid P46,000 for two tickets.  

Authorities then arrested the scalper before the concert night on October 5 outside the arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.

Many fans were dismayed at these online resellers, accusing them of ticket scalping.

Via @kblstgn on X

Punctuality is the cardinal rule

It goes with the saying, "The early bird gets the worm" -- however, even the most punctual concertgoers have had the frustrating experience of patiently waiting for a long time only to have others overtake and skip the queues.

One of them is Khengie, 21, from Santa Maria, Bulacan. She has been a big fan of Olivia Rodrigo for three years now.

"I camped out with friends at ticket outlets before their sale day as tickets can be sold out quickly, making it crucial to be first in line to secure a spot," Khengie said.

She admits to rushing home from school and asking assistance from her friends just to get the concert tickets.

For her, not only is it best to arrive hours before the opening to get the best spot but to also show respect for the performers' time and the attendees' experience.

For Fyvie Arriesgado and friends, the overall concert experience was a challenge. Getting tickets online and refreshing the site repeatedly, confusing Upper Box B lanes on concert grounds, and the overpopulated venue matched with the traffic along the way made their GUTS experience extra tedious.  

However, as an avid fan, Arriesgado highlighted that the concert was worth the hassle: "Once inside, everything was worth it. Olivia's performance was electric, and the crowd’s energy made the whole experience unforgettable. All the struggles faded in comparison to the thrill of seeing her live!"

New concert pet peeve unlocked

As unforgettable as Rodrigo's show was, so is the newly unlocked concert pet peeve tagged by netizens: no filming with flash on. 

This came into the list as content creator Jen Barangan was called out by co-attendees after filming with her mobile camera's flash onto herself, disrupting the audience behind her. 

This was not an isolated case as many concert-goers also used their phone cameras' flash to film themselves, amplifying the backlash.

Via @hi_prdsef on X

Days later, Barangan issued a short apology, saying: "To everyone, I'm so sorry for my actions."

Unfortunately, this stirred conversations online as netizens found her apology "ingenuine" and "nonchalant." 

As the concert etiquette list is growing, it’s never too late for attendees to learn and follow the simple rules of common courtesy.

Attending concerts shouldn't be complicated -- it's a fun experience but also a shared responsibility. Fans can enjoy without overshadowing others' experience with self-centric amusement. 

Unpacking Olivia Rodrigo’s Philippine tour dismays: the long queues both online and on-ground, scalpers and unauthorized resellers, the skipping of long lines, and flashy filming—attending concerts shouldn't be complicated.